Mat processing registration device



Dec. 24, 1968 e. u. PALM MAT PROCESSING REGISTRATION DEVICE Filed Oct.25, 1966 INVENTOR. GEORGE U. PALM A TTORNE YS United States Patent3,417,934 MAT PROCESSING REGISTRATION DEVICE George U. Palm, San Jose,Calif., assignor to Mark Systems, Inc., Santa Clara, Calif. Filed Oct.25, 1966, Ser. No. 589,442 5 Claims. (Cl. 242-55) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A system for simultaneous positive-negative processing of afilm of the Bimat type in which separately metered sprocket holed matand film materials are fed under tension through synchronized, separate,spaced-apart sprockets to obtain sprocket hole registry of the mat andfilm and thence are fed in a converging angle for mating in sprockethole registration onto a processing reel.

This invention relates to a processing machine for use with Bimat typefilm and mat materials and is more specifically related to a processorfor use in perforated motion picture type film.

Eastman Kodak and possibly others have developed a film process by whicha film carrying a photographic emulsion is processed to render anindependent negative and a positive of the image photographed. Theprocess is referred to as the Bimat type process of Eastman Kodak andgenerally comprises the use of a mat of film carrying an emulsion whichis soaked in a processing solution. Processing of the initial negativeand the rendition of a positive are accomplished by mating the emulsionside of the negative film with the emulsion side of the developer fluidcarrying mat. When the film and the mat are compressed together,processing occurs by causing the relatively unexposed portions of theexposed film to be transferred onto the mat and the relatively exposedportions of the emulsions to be retained on the film. There is, ofcourse, a gradation of control which provides the more or lesscontinuous tone image characteristic of the ordinary contrast ofstandard photographic materials. After processing, both the mat and thefilm must be separated which is accomplished by rewinding the twomaterials on separate reels.

When the film and the mat are joined together, they are conventionallydone so on a spool with the emulsion side of the mat and the film beingin face to face relation. The two materials, of necessity, on a spoolresult in the outer of the two materials having a greater linear lengthper revolution than the inner because the outer film is wrapped on awider peripheral base. In some processing, the aforesaid error resultsin a smaller variation in image size and poses no particular problem;however, in the case of motion picture film Which is formed withsprocket holes in which the frames are in registration with the holes,the aforesaid factor becomes an acute problem because the sprocket holeson the outer wrap cannot retain registration with the frames. Theproblem is also amplified due to the fact that the error is accumulativeand increases with each convolution.

The object of this invention is to provide a device which will registerthe mat and the film in sprocket hole registration immediately prior tothe two materials being joined and wound onto the processing reel and tomaintain the registration throughout the processing.

In the present invention, the mat and the film materials are referencedto sprocket holes and, thereafter, while in registration, are maintainedeach under sufficient tension to cause the two materials to bedifferentially stretched into a registered position on the takeup orprocessing spool.

A feature and advantage of this invention lies in the 3,417,934 PatentedDec. 24, 1968 fact that all error of registration on the takeup spool iseliminated. Furthermore, any eror that might result from an initialmisalignment of the mat and film cannot accumulate.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a sprockethole registering device in which the film and the mat are fed fromsynchronized sprockets in which a braking force is applied to thesprockets of sufiicient intensity to cause both the mat and the film tobe wound onto the takeup or processing spool under tension.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will bemore apparent after referring to the following specification andattached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view.

In the developing of mat film material, the mat and film are joinedtogether with emulsions in pressure contact onto a takeup or processingspool. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the film is mounted on a partiallybraked supply spindle 16 and the mat 17 is mounted on its partiallybraked supply spindle 18. Both the film and the mat are provided withrespective sprocket holes 20. A sprocket hole registering device A isarranged to register the film 15 and mat 17 by virtue of a sprocket 22having sprocket teeth 23 engaged with sprocket holes of film 15 andsprocket 24 having sprocket teeth 23 arranged to engage the sprocketholes 20 of mat 17. The two sprockets 22 and 24 are mounted on shafts 26and 27 which are in turn interconnected by gears 28 and 29. Gears 28 and29 provide positive synchronization of the two sprockets 22 and 24 so asto insure the maintenance of frame registration between the twomaterials. Film 15 and mat 17 are then wound onto the takeup spool ordrum assembly B. Pressure roller 30 is arranged to compress the mat andfilm together at the point of tangential contact onto the takeup spool31 of the takeup spool assembly B. Takeup spool 31 is driven on a shaft33 which is driven by a motor of conventional design indicatedschematically by arrow 34. Pressure roller 30 is biased by a springmechanism 38 to provide controlled pressure to force the two emulsionsides of film 15 and mat 17 into compressed relationship at their pointof tangency on spool 31. The sprocket guide mechanism is furtherprovided with an idler roller 40 which guides film 15 into positiveengagement with sprocket 22 and a pressure roller 41 is provided tomaintain the film in engagement with sprocket 22 until discharged. Asimilar idler roller 43 and pressure roller 44 is arranged inconjunction with sprocket 24 for mat 17.

A controlling brake mechanism is arranged with a gear 51 engaged withthe teeth of gear 29 to provide a positive braking or restrictive forcefor the two gears 28 and 29. Brake mechanism 50 may be of the typehaving a constant drag or, preferably, can be formed to have a variabledrag or load such as would be obtained by electrostatic or magneticclutch arrangements so that the braking force for the two sprockets 22and 24 can be controlled to meet the particular demands of theprocessing operation.

It is important in operation that the braking force applied to the filmindicated as T accomplished by appropriately braking spindle 16 besufiicient to maintain the film in taut condition at all times duringthe processing. The total braking force from the drag of spindles 16 and18, as can be seen, will be the sum of T and T Therefore, the brakingforce applied by brake mechanism 50 must be great enough to maintaintension on film 15, otherwise the film would slacken and registration ontakeup reel 31 would be lost.

As can be seen, mat 17 is arranged on the outer convolute of the mat andfilm pairs and thus must be stretched sufliciently to conform to thegreater peripheral length required for registration on takeup spool 31.The stretching occurs because of the resistance or braking actionatforded by sprocket 24. Thus sprocket 24 functions to restrict mat 20to a point where it must stretch sufiiciently to allow the sprocketholes to register with the sprocket holes of film 15 as it is wrapped ontakeup spool or drum 31. It is believed obvious that the film 15 and themat 17 can be reversed and still maintain the same function.

While one embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, itwill be apparent that other adaptations and modifications can be madewithout departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole hearing film materials inface to face relation onto a common takeup spool with the sprocket holesof each of the film materials being in mutual registration on the takeuspool comprising: a pair of independently rotatable spindles, eachadapted to eceive one of the two film materials; a pair of sprocketseach arranged to receive one of the two film materials from the pair ofspindles, said sprockets each having sprocket teeth adapted to engagethe sprocket holes of the film materials, interlocking meansinterconnecting said sprockets to synchronize the rotational ratethereof to maintain the sprocket teeth of each of said sprockets inregistration with each other, a takeup spindle adapted to receive thefilm material metered from said sprockets in face to face relation,means to rotate said takeup spindle, means to restrict rotation of saidsprockets sufficiently to maintain at least some tension on each saidfilm material against said sprocket as the film material is Wound ontothe takeup spool on said takeup spindle, said sprockets being spaced tometer each of said film materials in spaced apart relation, roller meansmounted tangentially against said takeup spool to compress said filmmaterials together at the point said film materials are Wound on saidtakeup spool.

2. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials inface to face relation onto a common takeup spool with the sprocket holesof each of the film materials being in mutual registration on each ofthe takeup spools comprising: a pair of film metering means, each ofsaid metering means engaged with one of the two film materials, means torotate said takeup spool to draw the film material metered from saidmetering means onto the takeup spool, synchronizing meansinterconnecting said metering means to synchronize the metering of thetwo film materials in sprocket hole registration, and brake meansconnected to said metering means to retard the metering of said filmmaterials against the pull therefrom by said takeup spool sufficientlyto maintain tension on both of said film materials during the transferfrom said metering means to said takeup spool to thereby maintain thesprocket hole registration of the two film materials on said takeupspool, said pair of metering means arranged in spaced apart relation tomaintain said film materials in spaced apart relation When metered fromsaid metering means, and said takeup spool being arranged to join saidfilm materials in face to face touching relation at a point tangentialof said spool.

3. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials inface to face relation onto a common takeup spool according to claim 2and wherein said metering means comprises a pair of sprockets and saidsynchronizing means comprises a geared interconnection between thesprockets.

4. A mechanism for joining two sprocket hole bearing film materials inface to face relation onto a common takeup spool according to claim 2and wherein said metering means comprises a pair of sprockets, and saidsynchronizing means comprises a geared interconnection between thesprockets, and wherein said brake means is connected to said gear toequalize the drag between the two sprockets.

5. A method of synchronizing sprocket holes of two motion picture typefilm materials comprising the steps.

of: metering each film from a separate supply source,

registering both film materials metered from the supply source insprocket hole registration while maintaining said film materials inspaced apart relation, metering both film materials at an equal rateafter registration, joining said two film materials in face to facerelation as the film is wound onto a common reel and retaining thesprocket hole registrations of the two film materials by maintainingtension on both of said film materials during metering from the supplysource.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1966 Custin 242 X 8/1967 Hackey24267.3 X

U.S. Cl. X.R. 24267.2, 67.3

